Journal article
Effectiveness of Ground-Mounted Diagrammatic Advance Guide Signs for Freeway Entrance Ramps
Transportation research record, Vol.1843(1), pp.70-80
01/2003
DOI: 10.3141/1843-09
Abstract
This study investigated the effectiveness of ground-mounted diagrammatic signs in the context of urban multilane arterials leading to freeways. Six highway-freeway interchanges were selected in the greater Columbus, Ohio, area for installation of the diagrammatic signs in the field. The primary measure of effectiveness was the distance at which unfamiliar drivers driving in the wrong lane changed lanes. A total of 21 and 19 test drivers unfamiliar with Columbus roads were recruited for an evaluation before and after installation of the diagrammatic guide signs. This evaluation with unfamiliar test drivers showed that drivers were able to execute a needed lane change earlier when diagrammatic signs were provided. Combining all six sites and looking at the 50th (377 m before, 819 m after) and 85th percentile (203 m before, 601 m after) lane change distances, an increase by a factor of 2.2 to 3.0 between the after and before condition was observed. In addition, a panel of 13 Ohio Department of Transportation and FHWA evaluators visited the six interchange sites and provided their input and opinions on the use of diagrammatic signs. The majority of the evaluators fully embraced the idea of diagrammatic signs. It is suggested that such signs should be used on multilane arterials in advance of highway-freeway interchanges in addition to preexisting guide signs (trailblazer assemblies), in cases in which the cost of overhead span-type sign bridges cannot be economically justified and additional advance guidance information to motorists is highly desirable.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Effectiveness of Ground-Mounted Diagrammatic Advance Guide Signs for Freeway Entrance Ramps
- Creators
- Helmut T Zwahlen - Ohio UniversityAndrew Russ - Ohio UniversityJames M Roth - Office of Traffic Engineering, Ohio Depart-ment of Transportation, 1980 West Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43223Thomas Schnell - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Transportation research record, Vol.1843(1), pp.70-80
- DOI
- 10.3141/1843-09
- NLM abbreviation
- Transp Res Rec
- ISSN
- 0361-1981
- eISSN
- 2169-4052
- Publisher
- Transportation Research Board
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/2003
- Academic Unit
- Neurology; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health; Industrial and Systems Engineering; Public Policy Center (Archive); Mechanical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984187058702771
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